Chen Mu led Wen Ning around two streets and stopped outside a coffee shop called Star Nine Grams.
She pushed the door open and greeted the employee behind the counter. She was clearly a regular.
The employee was a young woman with her hair in a bun. She smiled when she saw Chen Mu and was just about to speak when she spotted Wen Ning following behind her. Her smile immediately turned into a knowing, gossipy look.
Chen Mu pretended not to notice. She walked straight to the window seat in the farthest corner, dropped her canvas bag onto the chair beside her, and sat down.
Wen Ning sat across from her and looked around. It was a weekday afternoon, and the shop was nearly empty. Aside from the two of them, there was only a student in the corner wearing headphones and scrolling on a tablet.
The employee brought over two glasses of water. As she set them down, she gave Wen Ning an extra glance and winked at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu waved helplessly, signaling for her to hurry off.
The employee retreated with a grin. Before leaving, she deliberately flipped their table number over, revealing the handwritten words "Do not disturb" on the back.
Chen Mu picked up her glass and took a sip. By the time she set it down, her expression had changed completely.
The relaxed, amused look she had worn outside the school was gone, replaced by a cool, appraising gaze.
"Go on, then. What did you come to see me about? Why bring up my mom?"
Her tone was not particularly aggressive, but displeasure colored every word. After all, nobody wanted a stranger bringing up a deceased loved one.
Wen Ning thought it over. Since they had already come this far, there was